Pawn of Darkness
by Silvermane
Summary: Phoenix Argent is a normal girl...or is she? When Tom Riddle reveals her magic powers, she might do some very bad things...an Elemental-less Phoenix Tears. Old and new readers r/r!!!
1. Default Chapter

I'm glad I'm here to do this, folks

AN:I finished Phoenix Song. I have nothing to do. I will have nothing to do for a week. And thus I write fanfiction. This story is entitled "Pawn of Darkness". It is sort of an alternate universe Phoenix Tears. Phoenix doesn't get and Elemental and Elementals don't exist in this world. The next few chapters will be directly taken from Phoenix Tears with minor adaptions. Then the story will start to change, and the second volume of this "Knight of the Lion" will be almost completely different. I beg you to review.

1

Phoenix Argent had always seemed to be a perfectly normal ten year old.She was not short or tall, and had

brown-blond hair that waved down past her shoulders (which she hated, as she'd always loved red hair.)She was bright in

all her classes, and performed well outdoors.Her parents ran a greenhouse in their Britain hometown, wonderfully colorful

and long-lasting blooms.They were perfectly normal, except for the fact that they were often over-excited around

Halloween, which they celebrated by dressing up as magical-folk.Phoenix laughed at their antics during the family's favorite holiday.

Phoenix's only exceptional feature was her eyes.They were normally a hazel color, but went green when she was

happy, brown when she was scared or upset, and the brown often turned even reddish when she was particularly angry.This

unnerved many of her friends and teachers, and her parents even more.

One warm, mid-August night Phoenix sat alone in her room, curled on the bed with a book the night after her tenth birthday, dreaming about wonderous creatures like her own namesake, unicorns, centaurs, and mer-people.Suddenly she sat up with a jerk.Voices and footsteps were approaching, coming up the stairs.She sat, silent, listening as the people talked among themselves.

"The girl has to be around here somewhere," a man's voice whispered. "Crabbe, Goyle, start looking."Then came

two deep voiced replies of "yes, sir."

Phoenix had assumed at first that they were robbers, but they sounded like they were after her.She had to get out of

the room, climb out the window or something. Go to her friend Tara's house and call her parents and the police.

The door opened, and a man with silver-blond hair came in, wearing garments very similar to her parent's Halloween

outfits, and carrying a long wand, again like the ones her parents had at Halloween.Phoenix resisted the urge to laugh at his strange dress. He smirked at Phoenix."Well, hello," he said, looking directly at her, "Are you ready to go?"

Phoenix stared at him, eyebrows raised.Then the man raised his wand at her, and shouted "Imperio!"

The sensation Phoenix felt was similar to being pulled upward by a large bunch of ballons.She felt light-headed, like

she was drifting away.Then a voice drifted across the nothingness she was in.

_Come, follow me…_

But Phoenix didn't want to.Make me, she screamed in her head to the other voice.

_Come…_

No, I want to stay here…

The voice was cut off and Phoenix was back to herself again.She stared at the man, who looked angry and also

startled.Two lumbering men, probably the deep voiced people, came to stand behind the one with blond hair.Phoenix's

eyes flashed, and red sparks were gathering in them."Stop!" she told the first man.

The man looked defininitly mad now.He raised his wand and shouted "_Stupefy_!"

Phoenix saw a bright jet of light, and all the world went black.

****

Phoenix rose in a dark room.She remembered the men who had been in her house and tried to sit up, but was

restrained by some type of strong, thin cords.Her mind raced.She had to have been kiddnapped, there was no other

explanation.But what had the blond man done to her?Why had he been able to do those things, to knock her out and send

her into that nothing place where she couldn't think?

A door creaked open.She set her face rigidly, waiting for whoever it was.She was surprised to see a woman with

cascading golden hair walk in, carrying a tray of food.Her eyes were nervous and wary, but her mouth was set in a smile.

"Hello," the woman said, setting the tray down and turning on a light.Phoenix saw that she was tied onto a large, cannopied bed, in a luxorious room that was mostly emerald green in color."I'm glad you finally woke up."

Deciding not to trust the woman yet, Phoenix stared some more and saw another wand, like the man's, in a pocket in

the woman's gown.

The lady began to unknot Phoenix's bonds.Phoenix chose to take a risk and find out whether the woman was on her

side, whether she would help Phoenix escape."Where am I?" she asked.

"In a house."

"A little more specific, please."

The lady laughed, not unfriendly, but amused."In a house, in Britain, and I, well I can't tell you more, or _he'll_ get

upset.In my house, and my name is Narcissa Malfoy."She offered Phoenix some food, which the girl took gladly.

"Who is _he_? And why can't you tell me where I am?"Red was welling up in Phoenix's eyes.

The woman looked agitated and upset at Phoenix bringing this up."I really can't tell you, not now."

"Please—"

But Narcissa was already moving toward the door."You'll learn soon, I should think," she said, mustering another

smile, "I—I—Goodbye."

Phoenix sighed and lay back down on the bed.Looking around the room, she saw that it was windowless; and that

although it was richly furnished, it was quite cheerless.A cell.

She sat down and forced herself to sleep.

****

A loud banging roused Phoenix next, and loud footsteps.A familiar voice, the blond man's, and a high, cold one,

were talking.She sat upright, tense, wondering if they would hurt her.The door burst open.

Involuntarily, Phoenix gave a small gasp.The man who had just walked in was the tallest she had ever seen.And he

was even stranger.His fingers were horribly long, his skin ice white.The blazing eyes were bright red.His mouth was in a

mirthless, twisted, smile—not friendly at all.

Phoenix decided to glare.This tall person was on the blond man's side, and was thus a bad guy.She sat there,

staring, as he swept into the center of the room, the blond man stayed near the doorway.

"Leave us, Lucius."The imperious beckoning sent the blond man bowing from the room.Then the red eyes turned

themselves on Phoenix.With a wave of his wand, he closed the door.

"Welcome, Phoenix Argent. My name is Tom Riddle."

****

Phoenix said nothing.The man hardly seemed to care.Waving his wand again, he moved a chair next to him.

What was this, wondered Phoenix?Was it magic?Magic—like she had dreamed about since she was old enough o read about it? She was enthralled, but kept her face straight and emotionless.

Some of it must have shown, however, because Riddle spoke again."Do you enjoy this, Phoenix?You can do it too?Didn't your parents ever show you magic?"

What was he talking about?Her parents weren't magic.She wasn't magic…

"In fact, I can teach you, if you want.Give you a wand, give you the power…"Suddenly, all the furniture in the

room except the bed Phoenix was sitting on and Riddle's chair rose into the air and started spinning around.After a minute or

two, it all settled gently back into its places.

Phoenix managed to say, "But, I can't… I'm not magic…"

Riddle laughed."But you are.You have a gift so strong I sent my Death Eaters to fetch you.You might be almost as strong as I am, in fact, stronger than Dumbledore."He spat the last word venomously."Do you want to learn, to have a chance to use your talents?"

"Well, yes," said Phoenix. "I think."

"Very good then.We will visit Gregorovitch's in one hour, and Narcissa will bring you your lunch shortly.Don't be

alarmed if you hear people, by the way, nobody here will hurt you."And before Phoenix had time to marvel at how he could

possibly know about that, Riddle had disappeared with a small pop.

****

Phoenix ate her small lunch silently.She felt a bit odd.Hardly noticing when the lunch tray zoomed out of

the room on its own accord, she sat, deep in thought, mind roving.This was happening to quickly and was too odd.She'd

have to look at what cards were played on the table next, as she didn't really understand.

She hadn't even noticed footsteps before her next visitor came.It was a boy with the same hair as the blond man,

Lucius, had. He looked about fifteen or sixteen; his blue eyes were like a frozen lake, cold, like everyone else's seemed to

be.There were bandages wrapped around his wrist, which was red."You're to come down now," he told her, and she

stepped out of the room, curious about where she was.

"Who're you?" she asked, not knowing whether she could find out more from him.

"Draco, and this is our manor.It really is a pity our Lord insisted on putting you in one of the smaller chambers, you

won't get to see the rest of the place."

"Are you magic too?" 

"Yes, in training.School's a bore, I'm on a holiday, but I'll be going back soon.I do think you'll be having much

more _interesting_ studies."

Phoenix shrugged.They made their way down the seemingly endless maze of stairs and hallways until they walked

into a large room with an enormous fireplace and huge oaken doors.

As the huge clock struck one, there was a small gust of air, and Riddle appeared suddenly.Draco bowed low, and ran from the room.

"Are you ready, Phoenix Argent?" asked Riddle.She nodded."Good."He grabbed her wrist and popped her away.

The room rippled, and suddenly she was standing in a cold building with shelves of long, black boxes along it.A man

came running out of the back, bowing low.He had a gray goatee and a large bald patch.

"Good day, my Lord—" he said, but he was cut off.

"We are here for the girl's wand," said Riddle, "Help her find one, I have business in these quarters and will be back shortly." 

He strode out of the room.

Phoenix stared at the shelves and the man, who she assumed was Mr. Gregorovitch.He was beckoning something,

and a large tape measure zoomed toward them."You have a right wand hand, I guess?" He spoke with an accent.

"No,"Phoenix said, "Actually I'm left-handed."

The man looked surprised, but covered it up and walked around the room, collecting boxes."Try some of these

wands.Nine inches-maple and unicorn hair."Phoenix took the wand but it was snatched away."Rowan and dragon

heartstring, ten and a half inches… Oak and leprechaun fire… Thorn and griffin talon… no, no, no…"

Phoenix continues waving wands, with nothing happening.Another wand was passed to her."Eleven and

three-quarters inches, redwood and phoenix feather, nice and sturdy—oh, bravo!"

Phoenix, the moment she had taken the wand, had felt a wonderful warmth spread through her fingers.As she twirled

it experimentally, a fountain of gold and silver sparks shot out of it towards the ceiling.

As she continued to shoot sparks, now she had them coming in the colors of the rainbow, and then swirling around in

the air, the door opened again.

Riddle, smirking, walked in.He stared at the display of sparks, then twisted his fingers and they stopped.Phoenix was annoyed; she had been having fun."I assume that that is your wand," he said, talking to Phoenix, then he turned. 

"Gregorovitch, how much?"

"Um, it would be seven Galleons, sir."The money dropped out of nowhere onto the floor behind him.Phoenix

noticed it was very odd money."Got the feather from a bird in the Himalayas."

Riddle left the shop.She followed Riddle outside, where there were many other shops, each very odd.

"Your first lesson," Riddle said, "Will be Apparation.You simply tap yourself with your wand, and visualize where you want to be.Visualize the room you were in when we left.I will be waiting." Then he disappeared.

Phoenix closed her eyes, pictured the huge room, and tapped herself.There was the same blur of color, and then she

saw the room coming out of the blur.

"Very good," Riddle praised from behind her, "Tomorrow, your real lessons begin."


	2. Default Chapter

I'm glad I'm here to do this, folks

AN: Characters except Phoenix owned by JK Rowling

2

Phoenix rose with the new light of dawn, Narcissa, who she learned was Lucius's wife and Draco's mother, had

shown her to a larger room with a large window.She slipped into one of the long, black robes she had been given and sat

up.She had been told the night before to wait until a strange little creature called a house-elf came to take her to breakfast

downstairs with the Malfoy family.

Now that she had time to think, she thought hard.Why hadn't her parents shown her magic, if they were a wizard

and a witch?She knew she shouldn't be mad at Lucius for bringing her here, where she could learn.And she should be

grateful to Riddle for offering to teach her.Narcissa had told her that most magical children went to a public wizarding

school—the one she would have attended was Hogwarts—and that they started at age eleven.But because she was so

special, she had been offered to begin sooner and become stronger.It seemed like she had to trust all of them, not just

because they could give her so much, but because she didn't want to find out what would happen if she didn't.

When the house-elf came, wearing a black tea towel and wearing a long face, she sat up, taking her wand with her in

a large pocket in the robe.

The breakfast table was long and vast, but only the three Malfoys were there.Draco and his father were talking

before the food was brought out.

"How did Potter escape the Dark Lord, Father?What was it like?"

Lucius Malfoy's face was angry."I told you, the wands connected, and they were lifted away.Then ghost-things

came out and stopped our Lord from chasing Potter.The boy Summoned a Portkey and got away with Diggory's body. 

You know what happened after better than I do."

"Potter didn't win Gryffindor any extra points this year, Slytherin would have won the cup, but only by 5 points or

so."

Phoenix spoke up."What are Slytherin and Gryffindor?" she asked.

Narcissa, who had looked slightly uncomfortable, answered."Hogwarts Houses.The groups the students are in. 

Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor."

Phoenix nodded, not really finding this information useful.She found the family was rather quiet, not at all like

breakfast in her own home.It was odd, but she didn't feel homesick at all.

****

Phoenix was escorted by a house-elf to a large room where Riddle was waiting.It was dimly lit, and his eyes burned, a cold,

icy fire, in the darkness.

He pulled out his wand, and indicated she should do the same."I will not be teaching you like you learn at a school,"

he told her, "You shall be instructed on only the practical spells and incantations.We will pass the more basic charms, and

proceed to what will help you."Help me do what? Phoenix wondered, but she stayed quiet."These books contain jinxes,

hexes, and counter-jinxes."

Phoenix watched, amazed, as a snake slithered up to her ankles.It stayed still as Riddle demonstrated the curses on

it.She sat quietly, itching to try, until the snake slithered away.

She was handed a jar containing several mice."Practice on these," she heard, and then came a small pop and Riddle

had disappeared-Disapperated-again.

****

The weeks went by, Phoenix learned a vast array of magic.She particularly enjoyed Transfiguration, which was

simple to her.Charming things was nice too; some things were extremely interesting to do.

was the curses she didn't like, especially the three she had been told were important, the Crutacius Curse, the Imperius Curse, and the Killing Curse, which was horrifying to watch.She had seen Riddle's face light up with cruel glee as he

preformed these, it was positivly awful.When he was particuraly angry, he sometimes used the Cruciatius Curse on Phoenix. 

She could use the Imperius Curse well, and was able to throw it off always when anyone but Riddle did it.He took her a

while to get rid of, and she always did—normally after he forced her to do something awful to herself.

It was all easy, even though Narcissa told her she was already working on things far above the Ordinary Wizarding

Levels.It was natural to her, a skill that had been sleeping these past years.

Her days were divided between learning from Riddle and studying the magical skills. Around Christmas and Easter the Malfoy's son Draco came home. She practised dueling with him. When she ran out of new curses, she stopped it. She always won.

****

When June had passed, she knew as many spells as anyone in the rest of the world did.It was then that she was

summoned into the huge hall of the manor.

Masked men were standing in the room, Phoenix knew these were Riddle's Death Eaters.They were all respectfully standing to one side.Phoenix looked around uncomfortably, she hated seeing these grim people in their masks.

"Ah, Phoenix," Riddle said, "I have a little favor to ask of you."

Phoenix nodded, unsure of how to respond. She stood in an almost at-attention pose, face downturned and biting her lip.She had an acute wariness of Riddle after the Crutacius Curse examples. What could he want of her?

"There is someone I need you to bring to me, a boy.His name is Harry Potter, and he currently attends Hogwarts. 

There is a little… something I need to discuss with him, but he won't come on his own.

"What I need you to do is to return to your parents, who will listen to a little lie you will be explained later.You will

pretend to know no magic at all, take your supplies, and go to Hogwarts as a normal child.Watch that you do not reveal all

that you know, or they might become suspicious of where you learned it all.You must not tell them that."

"And while you are at Hogwarts, you will bring the boy to me.His will be a sixth year as you attend, he has black

hair and glasses, with a lighting bolt scar on his forehead.To be able to be with him at all times, you must get into Gryffindor

house.I cannot help you there, you will have to use a Confundus Charm on it, without the wand, to bewitch it into Sorting

you into Gryffindor."

"Wait a while before making your move.You will be given an Invisibility Cloak to hide you in case you need it to get

close.Use the Imperius Curse to make Potter follow you, then take him to the village, through a tunnel under a witch's hump

on the third floor.To go through tap the hump and say 'Dissindium' and it will open.We received that information from one

of my Death Eaters.When in the village, Apparate here, and we will be waiting."

"All—all right, I suppose," Phoenix said.She would have liked to know what Riddle wanted with Potter, but knew

questions often aroused his temper, which led him to perform the Crutacius Curse on her, it hurt for ages afterward.

Riddle smiled, then Apparated away, as did the Death Eaters.Phoenix stayed standing in the hall until a house-elf led

her back to her rooms.Narcissa was packing her things.

****

Phoenix took one last look at all the splendor of the Malfoy Manor, her home for a year, then Apparated away to her parents house.

****

Phoenix was received tearfully at home, in time to receive the owl with the Hogwarts invitation.She resisted the urge

to use charms around the house to do things more easily, but her parents would notice, and she had to do things the normal

way, the Muggle way.The days smeared toghther until September the First.


	3. Default Chapter

I'm glad I'm here to do this, folks

AN: JK ROWLING OWNS IT ALL!!!

3

Phoenix and her parents crammed themselves and Phoenix's trunk into the car, and tottered away in the old wreck of a Mercedes 6.9. 

Phoenix ignored her parents' chit-chat about their days at Hogwarts.She nodded at the right times, as her parents talked about their Houses (both had been Ravenclaws) and about feasts and such-like.

At King's Cross Station, Phoenix slid casually through the barrier. "Goodbye mum, goodbye dad," she said quickly. After over a year at the Manor, she didn't think she would really miss them.

The first empty compartment she found she jumped into. The train was starting to move slowly forward, to shouts of goodbye and goodluck from parents.

She sat in moody silence, pretending to look at The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One, but was really mentally

reviewing her plan, and the more useful spells she had learned.

The door burst open suddenly, a mousy-brown haired girl burst in, carrying a her trunk and a large wicker basket. 

She sat down next to Phoenix, and Phoenix put her book down on her lap.

"Ah," the girl noticed, taking in the open book, "A studier.Hope you get in Gryffindor, I'm the only one there that

reads like that there.I'm Hermione Granger, sixth year.What's your name?"

Hermione…the name was familiar…oh yes, one of Harry Potter's friends.It might be an advantage to get on

Hermione's good side."My name is Phoenix, Phoenix Argent."

"Oh," Hermione dug into her chest and pulled out The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six.Phoenix peered over

Hermione's shoulder to look at the contents.She had passed all of that back in December.She would probably be frightfully

ahead of everyone else, judging by the simplicity of the charms in her own level's book.

Going back to her mind-blank, Phoenix sat still.She pictured the spell books she had used at the Malfoy's, with

Riddle.Mentally reviewing them, she passed the trip with minimal conversation.

****

As the train pulled up to the platform in the village, Phoenix looked around.A huge man stood over by a large lake

and a small fleet of boats."Hi, Hagrid!" Hermione called, and the huge man shouted greetings back.

"First years, o'er here!" he yelled above the milling crowd, "Hiya, Harry!"

All the first years were piling into the boats, looking excited.Two boys and another girl were in the boat with her.As

the tiny sailboats cast off, Phoenix jerked her fingers and mumbled a short spell to keep the wind blowing the right way for her

boat.With no need to work, she relaxed and looked around the boat.The girl had long, dark brown hair and eyes.One

boy had black hair and blue eyes, the other's was pale and tawny, his eyes were blue also.

The fair-haired boy spoke up."My name's Randy Fletcher, what're your names?"

Obviously glad someone had broken the ice, the girl said, "I'm Glenn Wright.My parents are wizards, what about yours?"

The remaining boy grinned."Same here, I'm Tam Pendleton."

"My parents are both Muggles," Randy admitted, "But I've tried to read up on the places and stuff."

Glenn looked at Phoenix with a look that said plainly, well aren't you going to introduce yourself?

"Phoenix Argent.My parents are wizards but they never told me until the letter."

Tam and Glenn looked shocked."You're the one that was missing for a year!" Tam said, startled."Was it

frightning?"

"Yes, horribly." and she launched into the story Riddle had cooked up for her.

They got out of the boats in a large, underground cavern.A grey-haired witch with a firmly set line of a mouth

greeted them.Beckoning imperiously, swept out of the cavern, all the first years trailing behind.

"Wait here," she ordered, "You will be Sorted in a moment."

An excited buzz of babble broke out as she strode away through the double doors."How do they sort us?" Randy

asked her.

"You put on a hat, and it tells you where you should go," Phoenix told him, "It's really simple."Randy looked imensly

releived.

The doors opened, and the teacher motioned for them to enter.On the platform they were led onto, there was a

patched and greying hat.The students were all focused on it, and it's brim opened suddenly, it burst into song.

"Many, many years ago,

Lived great wizards four,

Who lived in search of learning,

Always wanting more.

Their names live on,

These wizards great,

And their noble,

Wonderous fate.

Tall and roaming Gryffindor,

Ravenclaw the wise,

Hufflepuff, so gentle,

Slytherin, surprise.

They came and founded Hogwarts,

But found that they did,

Disagree on what was best,

In each and every kid.

They chose their very favorites,

But how to chose when they,

Were dead and then,

Underground they lay.

They thought of me,

And put some wit,

Inside of me,

So come and sit,

I'll tell you where,

You ought to be,

I've never yet been wrong,

You'll see!"

The hall applauded, Phoenix joined in timidly.The grey haired teacher was unrolling a scroll."Argent, Phoenix!" She

called, and the wizard raised students whispered at her name.She strode forward, sat on the stool, and placed the hat on her

head.

"Well, well.You're a born Gryffindor if I've ever seen one, and I've seen them all," the hat whispered in her ear,

"Well, you're off to GRYFFINDOR!"Phoenix smiled and walked to the far table, which had erupted in cheers.But she

hadn't done the Confundus Charm, had Riddle managed to do it from wherever he was off at? Certainly she couldn't really be a Gryffindor.

The girl Hermione was waving at her, motioning for her to come over and sit with her.Good, she was with Harry. 

There were several more people that seemed to be in Hermione's group.There was a tall, red-haired boy and a girl who had

to be his sister and a round-faced boy next to Hermione.

"Congratulations," Harry said, she knew it was him, she had glimpsed the scar, "First new Gryffindor."

"I'm Ron Weasley," the red-headed boy announced, "This is Ginny, my sister," he pointed at the girl, "Neville

Longbottom," the other boy, "Hermione Granger, and you probably already noticed he's the famous Harry Potter."

Harry stuck out his tongue at Ron. Phoenix laughed at him and turned to the Sorting Hat, which was sorting Randy

Fletcher, a new Hufflepuff."Howards, Rachel!" was a Ravenclaw, and "Renos, Testoy!" was a Slytherin, all the way down

to Glenn Wright, who was the last of the students, and a Ravenclaw.

Tam came to sit next to Phoenix, he had been Sorted into Gryffindor as well.

A man at the top table was standing up, he had a long, silver-white beard.("That's Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster," Hermione hissed in her ear.)"Welcome, students, old and new.I hope you had an enjoyable summer.With the threats of Dark Powers, one can never be sure one may enjoy life as one should be able to.I sincerely hope you enjoy your school year, and for those of you with more short-term minds, I hope you enjoy the feast."

Dumbledore—the man Riddle had told her to hide her skill from. He looked pleasant enough, so she didn't know why.

Ginny Weasley was looking oddly at Phoenix, like Tam had."I've heard your name somewhere before," she said.

Tam nodded."She's the little kid who got kiddnapped for the year."

"But I'm pretty much over it, nothing could ever get me out from this school."Phoenix had to explain why she wasn't

trembling and crying at those words.Harry looked uneasy, as though remembering something upleasant, and his friends looked at him sypathetically.

Phoenix looked up at the top table."That's the staff table," Hermione told her, "Those are your teachers."

"Yeah, the ugly, greasy-haired one is Snape, he teaches Potions," Ron said.

"And the one with the shorter black hair, the one who keeps glaring at Snape—"

"And the one Snape glares back at until Dumbledore glares at both of them—"Hermione butted in and giggled.

"—Is Sirius Black, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher.He's new.They've all been new," Harry waved to

Professor Black and received a wave in return.

"We haven't kept a teacher in that subject for more than a year," Neville said."It's the one jinx none of them could ever fight."

The sixth-years continued telling Phoenix the names of every single teacher until the room began to drain."—And there's Professor Trelawney too, and you won't have her 'til third year, and only if you're crazy and take Divination.She's a

complete fraud," Ron finished the list with a large sigh.

"Oh, I have to get the first years out of here!" Hermione squealed.She stood up and called down the table, "First years, follow me, I've got the password!"

Phoenix, Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and much of the rest of Gryffindor followed her up the steps.Phoenix made sure to memorize the route for later.

Halting in front of a lady in a frilly pink dress, Hermione announced the password."It's 'rooster egg'!Yes, I know it makes no sense, but just remember it, alright?"

The first years bobbed their heads up and down, as though this would be the first in a long list of things to rememeber.

Hermione escorted the first year girls to their room, another Prefect led Tam and the other boys away down another passage. 

Their room had a brass sign that read "First Years" in big, clear, printing on a brass plate. The room was draped in scarlets and gold, with five huge four-posters in it, one for each of them.

A girl with curly hair was taking charge in the dorm."OK," she addressed them, "Names.I'm Aly Darkenson."

"Elizabeth Trontwell, just Liz,"That was a girl with long, blond hair that fell to her waist.

"Chris Mance, short for Christine, which I hate."Chris had dark brown hair in a pony-tail and green eyes.

"Kara Bell. My sister graduated last year—she played Chaser."Short blond hair, blue eyes, and freckles.

"Oh—I'm Phoenix Argent."Bracing herself for the wave of chatter about her kiddnapping, Phoenix picked out a bed, the one farthest from the door, hoping to divert the bombardment of questions.

"Oh."Aly was the only one who spoke.She bounced over to a bed in the center.Kara took the one nearest the door, Chris next to Phoenix, and Liz next to Aly and Kara.

"So, do any of you know any magic yet?" Chris asked the group.

"Not a spell of it," Liz replied, "Muggle born."

Chris and Aly were both half-bloods, and knew basic spells, while Karla had two wizarding parents and knew a few

interesting things.

"I know some things," Phoenix released when pressed, "I just kind of picked them up."

"Oohhhh, show me!" Liz cried.

Phoenix had to think.She wanted to show how good she was, but couldn't show how much she'd learned, or the girls might get suspicious.She decided on a Mending Charm.She smashed the water jug next to Aly's bed, which made Aly scream "Hey!", and shouted "_Reparo_!"

"Bravo!" Chris and Liz cheered.

Phoenix grinned."It's stuff like that I picked up.Just the things you might use around the house."

"Can you show me how to do something?" Aly asked."Dad didn't use too much magic around the house."

And so for the next half hour, Phoenix showed the girls how to open doors by magic.Liz had just gotten the hang of

it when she swung the door open with her wand and there stood Hermione, her hand raised as though she had been about to

knock.

"Lights out!" she told them, "Nice wandwork, by the way."Then she shut the door with her own wand and walked

away.

The girls now started chatting about their expected favorite classes as they got into their pajamas.Phoenix began to

think.I'm really happy here, not happy because I'm pressing myself on and on to learn more and get better and stronger, but because they're my friends, and being with them is fun.And with that she went to sleep.


	4. Default Chapter

I'm glad I'm here to do this, folks

All of it owned by JK Rowling except Phoenix and the new kids

4

Phoenix awoke with the dawn, her wand rattling because she had set an alarm in it.Since none of the other girls were

awake, she dressed herself by magic as she had done at the Manor in the mornings.Not really wanting to walk to the Great

Hall, she tried to Apparate down.Nothing happened, maybe she was in some sort of blocked zone.That would be why

Riddle had told her to get to the village before she Apparated.Drat, she'd have to walk.

She walked slowly into the common room, where Hermione was already sitting, a huge book in her hands.

"Oh, hello," Hermione called, "Just reading up on more magical creatures.I'm on house-elves now."

"Come off it, Hermione," Ron told her, as he came down the stairs, "I thought you got over house-elves two years

ago."

Phoenix heard them start to argue as she walked out of the portrait hole.Did they live to squabble?

In the Great Hall, stacks of eggs, hotcakes, toast, rolls, waffles, and more were sitting out.Only Tam Pendleton was

at the Gryffindor table, she slid into a seat next to him.

"Hi, Phoenix," he said, "You're an early riser too, I see."

"Yeah, I am.What's that?"She pointed to the paper in Tam's hand.

"Course schedule, they're over there."

"Accio schedule!"She cried, and the paper zoomed into her hands.A small teacher sitting on a stack of cushions

applauded.

"Very nice!" a tiny teacher cried, it was Professor Flitwick, if she remembered Ron, Harry, and Hermione's list, "And

you're only a first year!"

"Um, thanks," she told him, as Tam goggled.

"Sheesh," Tam said, "Where'd you get to be so good?"

"Nowhere, just picked it up," she fibbed. Now she read the schedule.Today she had Charms first, so she would probably have tiny Flitwick questioning her more.Defense Against the Dark Arts came after lunch.

Chris was entering the hall now."I woke up as I heard you leave, whatcha talkin' about?"

Phoenix glared at Tam, telling him silently not to talk, "Nothing," she said.

"Oh." Chris picked up a schedule."Charms first, hmmm, can't be too bad.Transfiguration tomorrow… I've heard

that's a real work loader."

"Come on, it can't be that bad," Tam said."The worst that can happen to you is to have someone change you into an

ant, I'd guess. And then have nobody find you for ages and ages. Urggg, Astronomy with Slytherin.I think Herbology with Ravenclaw will be fine, but Slytheins are pains."

"Seriously? Maybe they'll all be too tired to be pains though, Friday night at midnight isn't the best time for anyone." 

Phoenix laughed at her joke, her friends joined in.

When the Hall was filling up with students, Chris poked her and whispered, "Hey, isn't that Dumbledore?I've heard

all about him.He's really a great Dark Arts Defenseman."

Phoenix groaned.Flitwick was talking excitedly to Dumbledore, and pointing at her.She wished she'd never

Summoned the paper, now somebody might get suspicious.She tried to change the subject."What are Dark Arts?Magic is

magic, right?"

"No!" Chris said, "There's a really evil wizard, my dad's an Auror and he's always talking about him.His name is

Voldemort, but everyone here calls him You-Know-Who 'cause they're afraid of him.Before we were born, he was really

powerful, then he tried to kill Harry Potter—have you seen him here yet?—and something happened and he almost died. 

Then there wasn't any real Dark Magic for a while.

"But two years ago, somehow he came back, and he's started gaining supporters again.So many wizards and

witches have died… Muggles too, the Dark Lord doesn't care who he kills.Some of the kids here have Auror parents that

died, and some had families that were killed while they were at school."She looked sad and mournful, as though she would

be glad of a chance to get off the subject.Luckily, one came.

"Drat!" Tam had gotten egg on his robes."Anybody know any cleaning charms?"

Phoenix turned her back on the staff table and muttered a quick spell to clean the mess, careful to hide it from the staff

table."Thanks," Tam told her.

"Be a little more careful, Tam," Chris said, feigning a disapproving tone, but she spoiled it by grinning broadly.

Phoenix wasn't grinning though, she had seen Dumbledore's look at her, curious and penetrating.She was probably

in for trouble sometime soon.

****

Phoenix stared at the board as Professor Flitwick showed the class basic charms.Making bubbles come out of their

wands.She had already read how to do this, and when Flitwick told the class to try, she tried doing it without the

wand—making the bubbles spring from her fingers instead—as everyone else tried their hardest.What would be more

interesting, she thought.She stopped her stream of bubbles and pointed her wand at Professor Flitwick.Moments later, a

huge bubble had formed under Flitwick, and he started to rise up into the air.

The class started to laugh, but Flitwick knew some sort of couter-charm.The bubble stopped growing and rolled so

that the tiny professor was gently deposited on the ground."Well," he squeaked, "I guess that was an accident, please do not

aim your wand toward any of your class-mates, and please, don't point your wands toward me anymore."

Phoenix spent the rest of class staring at the ceiling and shooting bubbles.Riddle was right, she thought, I am far

ahead of these kids.

****

Lunch was a simple affair of sandwiches, after which came Defense Against the Dark Arts.Harry, Ron, and

Hermione had thought highly of Black, so she was curious about him.Her book in hand, she walked with Kara to the class. 

But Kara wasn't so sure about Black.

"Did you know he was in Azkaban?People thought he helped kill the Potters, those are Harry Potter's parents, so

he went to jail.In mys sister's fifth year he escaped and got here.People thought he was trying to kill Harry.But he got

cleared last year, around April, when a bunch of You-Know-Who's supporters were caught.One of them was the man

Black was accused of killing, so he got off.He was on the run for a while."

Whatever had happened in April for Kara didn't matter much compared to her memories of April.Riddle had been

in such a bad mood then that he had been blasting furniture apart.He had used the Crutacius Curse on Phoenix so often that

she went to bed with the aches.

Black was in the room when she and Kara entered, but nobody else."Hello," he said, "Have a good first morning?"

The two girls nodded.

"Good then.Wait until us teachers start piling your work on, I hope you're still happy then."

Kara laughed.Phoenix could tell she felt better about Black then ever.

"What are your teaching us, Professor?" Phoenix asked Black.

"Defense against the things Voldemort is using against us after a while, all though we'll start with the basics.Hope you

never meet up with them, but we'll tell you he best ways to try things."Kara cringed at Black's use of You-Know-Who's

name."Would you be Phoenix Argent?" Phoenix nodded."Heard about your Summoning Charm.That's fourth-year level

stuff, Flitwick was so excited he almost fell off his seat.Mind you, he's normally toppling off his stack of books."

If the rumor had spread, she'd better be careful about what she did, she didn't want anyone getting suspicious about

her talents.But what did first years know?

The bell rang and Phoenix took a seat in the middle of the room, her room-mates clustered around her as they came

in.Black remained silent until they had all entered.

"My name is Sirus Black—and if you choose to mistrust me after what you were told all your lives, feel free to do so,

I won't hold it against you in your grades.

"The important thing in this class is for you to learn how to defend yourselves against Voldemort's terrors. 

Dementors, the Unforgiveable Curses, and other things.But that actually comes later, now I'm supposed to teach you about

basic hexes, how to use them to stop an enemy, and counter-jinxes.If you find a particurally unpleasant curse, bring it up to

me, there's someone I'd love to try them on."At first, Phoenix thought he meant her, but then realised it had to be Snape,

the teacher he had been glaring at.

"So pull out your books, and look up ten curses and counter-curses.At the end of class, bring up your lists on how

to use them and we'll set you into pairs.You will curse your partner and use the counter-spell.Later your partner will do

likewise."

Phoenix pretended to open her book, but ignored it and wrote down some of her favorite hexes and jinxes.Lead

Feet, Jelly Legs, De-Boning—not the Crutatius and it's fellows, she hated those.She didn't notice Professor Black standing

beside her.

"Are those in the book?" he asked her, "I really don't remember them."

"Oh!They're in a-a book my dad has.I looked through it and memorized them."She hoped her fib sounded

natural enough.Black shrugged and passed on.

She sat and thought of more curses until they were split into partners, Aly was with Phoenix.Aly went first.The

Leg-Locker.Phoenix sighed.She could shake this off with her eyes closed, without her wand, and with her arms behind her

back, but she waited for Aly to use the counter-curse.

"Fermentalus!"Phoenix used the Tree Jinx on Aly.Aly's arms turned brown and raised upward, her legs sunk into

the classroom floor, and before a minute was up, she was a rattling willow tree.Phoenix muttered the counter-jinx before Aly

could shead leaves, which would make her lose fingers and hair.

****

The rest of classes were uneventful until Friday.Snape was as nasty as Harry said.He picked on the Gryffindors to the point where Tam had broken and thrown a jar of tarantuala juice at him. (Which resulted in Tam getting a detention and losing Gryffindor twenty points). Herbology was new to Phoenix, but she did well.The same went for her other subjects, until Transfiguration.

They were turning matches into needles.Apparently, this was traditional.Every teacher did it.It was so simple,

Phoenix thought any first year should be able to do it in a snap, so she prodded it with her wand.There was a perfect

tapestry needle.Phoenix closed her eyes and started to think—how could she get Potter to come with her?

"Miss Argent!"Phoenix spun around, it was the teacher, Professor McGonagall."You've done it!First person all

week!"

Phoenix smiled weakly.Perfect, she told herself, another thing you've just made a point about. 

Fortunatly, Chris had just sprouted pine-needles in her ears, and Professor McGonagall scurried away to the laughter of the class.


	5. Default Chapter

I'm glad I'm here to do this, folks

All of it owned by JK Rowling except Phoenix and the new kids

5

Phoenix learned about the other students.The other Gryffindor boys besides Tam were Arlan Comfren,Chandler Temple,

Jason McArdell, and Brett and Brian Avin, the only twins in Gryffindor since the legendary Beater-Prankster Weasley twins,

who left the year before.All of the nine other Gryffindors were marvelous,and Phoenix gradually forgot all about what

Riddle had asked her to do.

It had turned out that History of Magic, which had only begun on the next week, was something Phoenix knew nothing about. 

It was infernally boring, the ghost that taught it, Professor Binns, droned on and on.He would have been wonderful as

someone payed to put people in trances, but was horrible as a teacher.This had to be one of the less important aspects of

magic Riddle had told her about.She had to agree.

Phoenix was glad when the Headmaster didn't request her to talk with him, she had lain awake all Saturday night thinking of

something to say to him, but nothing could come to her.

****

On Sunday, a message was posted in the Gryffindor common room.First year's flying lessons were to be held on

Thursday afternoons.They would be learning with Hufflepuff, out on the grounds.

This brought on another wave of Quidditch talk—Phoenix now thought she understood the game.

Thursday afternoon was cloudy and slightly gusty.The trees on the grounds and in the Forbidden Forest rustled in a

strange symphony of clattering and shaking strains.Phoenix's weather spells told her it would rain during her lesson, so she

put a water repellant on her robes before she went outside.

Kara was going on and on about flying.How her sister had flown, the bestways to control your broom, and so

forth.

Twenty brooms lay on the rippling green sea of grass.Kara went for the shiniest broom, Chris took one with a worn

handle, and Phoenix just grabbed the broom in between the two of them.

A witch in Quidditch robes came out before them, standing like an army drill sergeant."My name is Madam Hooch,

and I will be teaching you youngsters how to fly.First things first—stand next to your broom and yell UP!"Ready, one, two,

three!"

"UP!"Kara, Chris, and Phoenix's brooms all lept into their hands, as did Tam's, the Avin Twins', and three of the

Hufflepuff students'.

"Just pick up your broom if it didn't come, dears, and we'll start flying.Grip the handle, and you'll rise a few feet. 

On my whistle again.One, two," TWEEEEEET!!!

All of the students rose up."Very good!" yelled Madam Hooch from below, "Go a bit more, while I go and get my

broom."

Phoenix watched Kara do loop-the-loops on her broom.She imitated, as did Chris.Madam Hooch had only been

gone about five minutes before the clouds burst into a flash storm.Nobody cared, really, all though all but Phoenix were

getting soaked to the bone.

It was still more time before Phoenix saw a narrow shaft of lightning headed into the lake."Everybody get down!"

she shouted,"We're prime targets for that lightning!"

All of the girls went down, but quite a few of the boys were still up in the air."No way!" Chandler Temple called

down to her, "No danger!"

Another bolt of lightning struck the trees nearby.All of the boys except Chandler came down.She would have to

drag him down, most likely.She mounted her broom, eyes blazing like red coals.

"Chandler, come on,!" she told him, circling alongside,"This is danger—" 

People on the ground screamed.Lightning had struck a sapling right below the pair of them.Phoenix raised her

wand, would she have to fight lightning?She could feel with some magical sense—the clouds were ripping—the lightning was

coming—it was going to hit them—

Phoenix didn't know what she did, she felt like she was hurling part of herself and her magic against the lightning

flashing toward her.She was sending sheer magic out of herself now, to push Chandler out of the way—but it was draining her, and it hurt like something was being ripped out of her--

She hit the ground with a dull thud and blacked out.

****

It was misty and foggy.Swirling colors darted around her, she felt a floor, but saw only more fog.

Then Riddle appeared, wand raised."Hello, Phoenix Argent," he said, voice cold and silky, "It appears you are

having a little problem."

"No, I'm not having any problems, I'm just fine—"

"If you are 'just fine' then why haven't you brought me the Potter boy yet?I really expected better from you…

Crucio!"

The pain came in the expected rush, she screamed, loud and long, until Riddle lifted the curse."I hope that teaches

you a lesson about being more prompt, Phoenix.There is a change in our plan, and you must be exactly on time.

"On Easter, you must bring Potter.I will meet you at the Manor as was planned before, at some point earlier than

seven o' clock in the evening.You will wake now, to be cared for whatever you did to yourself to put you in a state I could

reach you in."He dissolved slowly, and when he was completely gone, Phoenix awoke.

She was in the hospital ward at school, in a crisp bed with drawn curtains.

Phoenix's mind and body awoke with a jolt.What had happened to Chandler?What had happened to her?She felt

fine, maybe whatever her spell had done had drained her.

Then she went back to sleep.

****

Phoenix woke up when Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in."What happened?" Phoenix asked the bustling

matron, "Is everyone fine?"

"Oh! You're awake!Yes, everyone is fine, although I don't know how you managed to just force Mr. Temple away like that.Madam Hooch saw lightning streaking straight for yourself and that Temple boy and then saw him pushed out of the way.You were knocked out, and Mr. Temple fell off his broom as well.The rest of the class is fine, if a little shaken.Personally, I see no reason why you shouldn't get up and go."

"Great.Er—where're my clothes?"

"On the table there, change behind the curtains.You can leave when you finish dressing, and take care."Madam

Pomfrey walked out of the room.

Phoenix knew she had been thinking about something before she fell asleep.Ah—Riddle.Easter was a long way

away.She'd have plenty of time.

All of the first years were waiting nervously in the Gryffindor common room.Liz and Kara looked like they had been

crying, Chandler looked overcome with guilt, and Tam was looking horrified and shocked.She felt sorry for Tam, who

looked the most pathetic of the lot.

"Phoenix!"Chris yelled, jumping up from a loveseat she was sharing with Kara, "You're all right!"

"I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey says there isn't any harm done."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Phoenix, I really was an idiot!"Chandler cried, "I'm really sorry, really really really—"

"It's fine, Chandler. I wasn't hurt so it doesn't matter. Its just something friends would do for each other."

That word had more magic than any other. Friend.


	6. Default Chapter

I'm glad I'm here to do this, folks

All of it owned by JK Rowling except Phoenix and the new kids

6

It was the third week of October when Phoenix did something drastic.

For a few weeks Liz had been coming into the tower dishiveled and with a tearstreaked face after dinner, and after everyone else had come up. Phoenix decided to find out what was going on to make her friend so upset.

Phoenix sat next to Liz at dinner, chatting amiably with the Muggle-born girl. And when Liz slipped off after dessert, Phoenix waited a moment before following her outside.

Liz walked slowly to a small room. Inside was Draco Malfoy, flanked by two thugs of his Phoenix noticed he dragged around the school with him. 

"You're late, Mudblood," Draco drawled.

Phoenix bristled from outside the door.

"I-I'm sorry," Liz stuttered.

"Immobilius!" the blonde boy laughed.

Withou looking, Phoenix knew Liz was frozen into a statue.

"Chicaposi!"

The Itching Curse? Phoenix puzzled. The she got it. The Itching Curse made the victim want to scratch desprately, and the Immobilization Jinx would stop Liz from being able to scratch. She always had thought of Draco as something of a bugger.

Phoenix slipped into the doorframe, unnoticed. Then she pointed her wand at Liz and said "Finite Incantem!"

Liz fell onto the floor.

"Don't do that again," Phoenix said quietly, eyes scarlet. "I'll find out."

"And do what?" Draco sneered.

"You know perfectly well what I'll do to you. But just as a little sampler…_gelligusia! Thoribrias! Exnayius!_" She jinxed Draco and the flanking boys each in turn.

Draco shouted something Phoenix couldn't quite understand. But then again, she had never learned pig-Latin.

"Let's go Liz," she laughed.

***

She heard more reports from Chris about Voldemort, more people dying.She began to wonder how she would stand against the evil wizard.She knew she was powerful, but with tales of Voldemort's power, she began to panic slightly.

Phoenix's biggest shock came on the last day of the term, right before most students were going home,

although Phoenix was staying.Professor McGonagall was watching them turn ear muffs into fuzz balls, and Phoenix, already

done, was dozing quietly as the rest of the class struggled with their muffs.

"Miss Argent!" McGonagall barked in her ear.Phoenix jumped, and the rest of the class turned to look.Liz giggled. 

"Step outside, please." The please sounded like an after-thought.

McGonagall shut the door quietly behind them."Phoenix Argent, I have noticed you seem to be finding this all rather

simple.Do you find your Transfiguration assignments easy?"

"Well, yes, a little,"Phoenix had been dreading something like this since the first day of school.

"Show me what you can do, please.I would like to know the full extent of your talents."

Phoenix figured that she might as well show what she could do.She waved her wand and pointed at the clips holding

up the teacher's hair.Each one turned into a small, crimson dragonfly.McGonagall looked shocked.

"Is there anything else, Miss Argent?"

"Well, yes, I suppose."She pointed her wand again, this time right at McGonagall.She waved it, and the Professor

became an owl, flapping among the still hovering group of dragonflies.

It took a moment for the owl to turn back."My!I haven't had anyone do that to me since I was a seventh year!"

McGonagall told her, looking shocked."How on earth do you manage to do that?"

"Well…I just kind of want something to be something, focus what I want to change, and it just, well, does."That was

actually precisely true—It was what she told Riddle and how she changed things.

"Miss Argent, you have an extraordanary talent.I don't think anything I could give you would be much of a challenge

to you." Then her eyes lit up, "Unless…Miss Argent, how would you like me to teach you to become an Animagus?"

"What's that?"Phoenix asked, looking nervously at her teacher.

"A witch or wizard who can turn into an animal at will.If you want to, come back tommorow around nine and I'll tell

you a bit more."

"Yeah, I'd love to try it, sure."

"Wonderful.Now go back to your seat, Miss Argent, and don't tell anyone about this."

Phoenix sat down, elated.Chris bent over and asked her, "What was that about?"

"Nothing, I'm not in trouble."

Chris smiled."Cool," she said, "But can you help me with these ear muffs?"

****

Phoenix slid into Professor McGonagall's room precisely on time.She had been waving goodbye to her friends as

they boarded the Hogwarts Express home for Christmas.Only Tam and the Avin twins had stayed out of the first years. 

Panting, she skidded to a halt in front of McGonagall's desk, and looked around for the teacher but saw only a tabby cat and

an enormous black dog, both looking at her.

"Professor McGonagall?" She asked the cat tenatively, "Is that you?"

Both animals transformed into humans.The cat was McGonagall, the dog was Professor Black.

"Hello, Phoenix," Black greeted, "I'll be helping McGonagall teach you about Animagi and becoming an Animagi."

"Well, let's get started.Becoming an Animagi requires getting a few things that aren't normally on hand, but we have

them.The law says we should report you doing this to the Ministry of Magic, but as we are engaged in a minor dispute with

major factions of the ministry, we think it would be best to not register you."

"It'll do that pompous windbag Fudge good not to get everything handed to him, too,"Black added.

"The first thing you need to do is complete the potion Professor Black and I have brewed.A phoenix feather, a

dragon's scale, and a unicorn tail hair.These ingredients have been added to a potion with cat and dog hairs, and a bird's

feather.You need to put in three of you own hairs, and stir it thirteen times, counterclockwise."

"Then," Black said, "You draw a pentagram, we studied those already, and put yourself inside.Then you say the

spells, and we'll see what you become.The first few minutes are hard, when you bind with the animal minds around you."

Phoenix turned to the potion she had just noticed in the corner.It was blindingly white.She pulled three hairs and put

them in under the teacher's watchful eyes.Then she stirred, and the potion became pure gold.

When the pentagram was complete, and she was inside, she looked to the teachers.McGonagall handed her a slip of

paper, and Phoenix read,

"Animals magic,

Witches magic,

Phoenix, dragon,

Unicorn magic.

Animal sides to my heart,

Witches sides to my heart,

The phoenix and dragon,

And unicorn sides to my heart—

Let them come toghether."

Then she was shrinking, growing smaller and smaller.She looked at herself, and saw downy, feathery masses,

indicating she was a bird.In the mirror Professor Black had picked up, she saw she was a brown merlin with lighter golden

streaks.

With a wave of sensation, she became aware of the network of birds everywhere.Hundreds of owls, starlings and

sparrows on the grounds, and the mind of a bird-lord in the very castle.The animal part of her heard a whole web of

birds—all the avians in the castle and on the grounds.She felt most acutely the bird-lord, a phoenix, which was coming out of

a window and gliding—it was coming to her!

Phoenix checked in with her human part.She hadn't known there was a phoenix in the castle.She felt it coming, and

saw it glide in the open window.It came and sat in the pentagram with her, and the phoenix stared at her.

"That's Fawkes," McGonagall cried, "What's he doing here?He normally staysin Dumbledore's office."

Fawkes, if that was the phoenix's name, stared at the merlin as though confused by this creature that was a bird, but

different from his other subjects.

"Fawkes must be confused by Phoenix, look.He can't understand how she seems to be a bird, but has a human

mind.Turn back, Phoenix, let Fawkes know what you really are."

She popped back into her human body, and Fawkes gave a trill of understanding.Phoenix stared at Fawkes, it was

the first phoenix she had ever seen.It had crimson wings, with gold tip feathers and a gold tail.Fawkes was the size of a

large and beautiful swan, its crest brushed below her hips and the tail curled in a radient plume. 

"So, am I an Animagus now?"Phoenix asked the teachers.

"Yes, everything seems to have gone right.What type of bird were you, by the way?"

"A merlin, Professor," she told McGonagall, "A hunting bird."

"Ah, well, see if you can do that again, just to make sure."

Fawkes took a step back when Phoenix turned into a merlin.She looked back at him, and noticed he was very big

from a merlin's point of view.

"Wonderful, Phoenix.You've done something very few people ever try in their lives.Oh, by the way, don't tell

anyone about this.It might come in handy to keep it a secret."Black beamed at her, "And if you want to take a test flight out

of here, go ahead.I think there's always a window open in Gryffindor Tower, and Fawkes will be your escort."

Phoenix chirped and sailed out the window.She flapped pathetically, flying was harder than she'd thought.And so

tiring, to keep flapping.She looked at Fawkes, who wasn't having any trouble_.Can you help me, Fawkes_? she asked in

her head.Somehow she felt so connected to birds as a merlin that she thought she could probably talk to them.

Fawkes trilled behind her.In her head she was suddenly shown an easier way.The crimson bird told her to glide,

and catch currents of air instead of battling with them.She got the hang of it quickly, gave an appriciatve cry, and set off for the Tower.


	7. Default Chapter

I'm glad I'm here to do this, folks

AN: EXTREMELY SHORT CHAPTER!!! All of it owned by JK Rowling except Phoenix and the new kids

7

Nobody learned about Phoenix's new talent.She never used it in front of her friends, who looked to her for magical aid.She was allowed to skip Transfiguration now, McGonagall said there was nothing she could be taught now.Professors Black and Flitwick allowed her to read advanced books in their classes, on extremely powerful spells.

Now more people were dying—Kara's Auror mother had been killed, a hush lay over Gryffindor Tower.She

wondered more about Voldemort than she had before the Animagus transformation.In a duel, what would she do?She

compiled spells to use against him, out of Black's books, and it became something to do in her spare time—wonder how she

could defeat him if he came after her.

Phoenix stared around her common room.It was Easter Eve, tomorrow she would have to bag Potter for Riddle. 

She needed a plan, but there wasn't any way to draw Potter out of the company of his friends. Her mind wandered,

Ravenclaw had really pounded Hufflepuff in that last Quidditch match…Oh well, she'd watch and wait. 

****

It was five in the afternoon on Easter Day.Phoenix had been tracking Potter from under her Invisiblity Cloak all day,

watching for a point when he'd be alone from his friends.She had finally got it, as he strode around the library.Hermione

and Ron were bickering several floors above.

After this, she'd be free of Riddle forever.She shivered at his name.Something in her brain connected him with bad

things, not good, however well he had taught her.

She stuffed the Cloak in a robe pocket and stepped out from behind a bookshelf."Hi, Harry."

"Oh, hi Phoenix.Hermione, Ron and I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well, I've been busy with some things.Umm, I've been wanting to ask you some things about You-Know-Who,

because Kara told you you'd met him before."

Potter closed his book and slid it back onto the shelf."It's kind of a longish story… and it's a bit… well, yeah, sure. 

Come on, I'll walk around while I tell you some parts of the story."

This was exactly the response Phoenix had wanted.They walked out of the library and Potter begain.Steering their

direction toward the witch with the hump she had been told about, she listened.She could have used the Imperius Curse then

and not have had to worry, but she really did want to know,

"—He's really easily upset you know.And he doesn't care about anyone, not even his closest supporters.Uses the

Cruciatius Curse all the time… he used it on me… It hurts like a million knives, you know, and fire, too.He laughs while he

does it to, I don't think he is really completely sane.I can't see why he does it otherwise.Hey, why'd you stop here?" 

Potter eyed the witch suspiciously, did he suspect anything?

"Somebody sent me to bring you to them, my teacher.So just follow me…" Then Phoenix said the word she

had been taught, "_Imperio_!"

She tried to control Potter's mind as she tapped the hump and opened it._Just go in there…_ Normally the subject

did whatever she wanted then, but something in Potter kept him from doing it._Go in!Now!_ she screamed in her head, and

then the contol disappeared all toghether, Potter had thrown off the curse."

"What are you doing?" He gasped at her, "What are you playing at?"

"God, Potter, just come!_Stupefy_!"She shrieked in frustration.Potter was crumpled on the floor.She regained

control of herself and whispered to her wand, "Mobilcorpus!"Like a puppet on strings he jerked up, and Phoenix forced his

body into the hump. 

Phoenix ran, magically dragging Potter's body down the tunnel under the witch's hump.She panted for breath at the

end of the passage, and tried to calm herself.What if she had been heard, or seen?What if Potter woke up soon?She

relaxed herself muscle by muscle, and used a Binding Charm to make sure she could Apparate with the fainted body.

Phoenix Apparated quickly into the Malfoy Manor, it was almost six.

"Eneverate!" She muttered, and Potter woke up as she stuffed her wand into her robe.She expected him to rant

and yell, but he was looking over her shoulder, open mouthed.

"Voldemort!" He whispered fearfully.

Phoenix spun around—it was only Riddle.And then her mind made the connection.


	8. Default Chapter

I'm glad I'm here to do this, folks

AN: All owned by JK the Magnificent Rowling

8:

Lord Voldemort laughed.He waved his wand and flung Phoenix against the wall."Welcome, Harry Potter.I daresay you

must be very glad to see me.Come on out."The Death Eaters came to stand a respectful distance behind the Dark Lord. 

"You got lucky last time, Potter.But there isn't a Portkey to take you away now, or any spirits.Phoenix would be your only

way out, and you can be assured she won't be helping you."

Phoenix gasped, trying to regain air, her eyes glowed red.Voldemort looked at her and laughed some more."I

suppose that you want to know how innocent little Phoenix turned out to be the danger to you?The foolish brat did whatever

I wanted after I showed her a few simple little spells.She was all mine from the first day, and she did whatever I wanted. 

And what I wanted was you."

It was agony for Phoenix, she wanted to hurt Voldemort as badly as she could.How could he have done this to her. 

How stupid she had been to believe every lying word he uttered.She shape-shifted into her merlin form and flew straight for

him, as Potter watched her with his green eyes full of anger and pity, and fear that directed itself at Voldemort.

Voldemort simply jinxed her and she fell to the floor, and laughed his high, cold laugh that was like a snake of ice. 

"So you're an Animagus now too.You did really have quite a talent, I didn't lie there.What a pity though, that

your talent will be wasted.I'll probably have to kill you tonight."He lifted her small, gold-brown form from the ground and

flung her out an open window."I'll get back to you later."

She landed at the base of a small tree in the yard of the Malfoy Manor.Hate filled her.Now she and Potter would

die, because of her naivete.She was tired though, she tried to relax more, to escape the pain.Then she found her bird-self spirit.Maybe the birds would help…no, they would be jinxed out of the way, she didn't want them to die.She had to contact

someone, an Auror.She thought back to what Chris had said on their first morning at Hogwarts.Dumbledore was a

powerful Auror.But she couldn't reach him.She felt the minds of the birds tugging at her.She felt Fawkes' mind too. 

Maybe he could help!

_Fawkes?_ she though out, _Can you hear me, the merlin-girl_?She felt an answering ripple in her consiousness, the

phoenix had heard her._Get help, Fawkes.Someone is in trouble.Get Professor Dumbledore, get anyone.Tell him,_

_or them or her, to come here quickly.Just please get help._Somehow she knew Fawkes would get help, she just needed

to help Potter now.

Phoenix concentrated all her power, and that of a few helping birds, onto freeing herself.With one cannnonball of

magic, she burst out of the invisible restraints on her.Phoenix reentered her human form and pulled out the Invisiblity Cloak. 

She threw it on and became the hunting-bird again, this time invisible. 

Stelthily she glided in, small bird's heart hammering. She saw Potter on the floor, writhing in the pain of the Cruciatius

Curse.She became Phoenix-the-girl again, and threw off the Cloak."_Stupefy!_" she yelled at Voldemort.Her curse missed,

and she braced herself for a counter-jinx, preparing to die, as long as it bought time for Potter.

"You little brat!"Voldemort said as he whirled to face her, "_Crucio_!" 

Phoenix yelled, but remained upright until somehow she threw off the curse. The Death Eaters were moving in. "_Petrificus Maximus_!" she screamed. Every one of the masked wizards froze.

"You really shouldn't do things like that," Voldemort hissed. "_Imperio_."

_Stay still and out of my way._

Make me…let me go…

_Stay where you are!_

NO!!!

The curse was off. "I'm not going to die here," she breathed to herself. "_Iciclinio_!"

It didn't work that time either. "Do you think you can defeat me with my own spells?" the Dark Lord laughed.

"I can try."

"_Stupefy_!" Potter cried from Voldemort's back. The curse faded in mid-air.

Voldemort turned to Potter now, a smirk on his face. "I really think it's time I ended this little game. I do believe I've won it. _Ava_—"

Phoenix held up her hand so that Potter could see it, with three fingers up. Potter pulled out his wand, and was ready by the time two of the fingers were down. So by the second syllable of the Killing Curse, the two of them were ready.

"_Stupefy_!" both of them shouted.

And toghether, they had made the spell work.

Phoenix jumped around the Dark Lord and helped Potter, suffering from a prolonged use of the Crutacius Curse, back to his feet. "Are you alright?" she asked, wide-eyed.

He nodded and she helped him to his feet.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Potter smiled kindly. "I'm not angry. Well, not at you, anyway. I don't really consider this your fault. But," he looked around nervously, "We should be getting out of here."

"Oh—of course." 

Both of them hurried out the door, going as fast as Harry could. "I tried to tell Fawkes—you know, Dumbledore's phoenix—that we were in trouble."

"I think the passed on the message." 

Right in front of them was Albus Dumbldedore, with Fawkes swooping down onto his shoulder. "What happened?" he asked gravely.

"Voldemort—and a bunch of Death Eaters," Harry said rapidly.

"Inside?"

Phoenix nodded.

"I'll send for some Auror crews," the Headmaster said.

"I think Voldemort will have gotten away by the time they get there," Phoenix said quietly.

"Yes, but any gain in our battle against him is a gain indeed. But we do need to be getting back to the school. Phoenix, you apparated here, correct?"

She nodded.

"I'll meet you at Hogsmeade station then," Dumbledore said, grabbing Potter's wrist.

Phoenix Disapparated a moment later, in Hogsmeade station in front of a line of black carrages. Dumbledore motioned for her to climb in one, and she did.

"Now, Phoenix," the Headmaster said, "I would like you to tell me your whole story up unti tonight."

Phoenix told it willingly—everything, with nothing ommitted.

"I just didn't know," she ended. "I never really _wanted_ to consider that Riddle might be Lord Voldemort. He told me that was his name."

"It is, though.Lord Voldemort was born as Tom Marvelo Riddle. Tom Riddle came to

Hogwarts once, he went bad while he was still here.But after he left, he went to the most dispicable of our kind, underwent

horrible transformations, and returned to the world as Lord Voldemort."

"Oh."Phoenix didn't know what to say, really.

"Several years ago, before the Dark Lord came back to the body he has now, he brought havoc on the school by

using another first year under the name of Riddle.The poor girl almost took the blame, although she was saved at the last

minute."

Professors McGonagall, Black, Snape, and Sprout were waiting at the school gates."Just a minute, I'll talk with you

in a second," He told them when they started to harass him with questions."Minerva, I need you to take Phoenix and Harry

up to Gryffindor Tower.Do not question her on the way up, please.And please, neither of you tell anyone.I make an

exception for Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger."McGonagall nodded and took them away.

The three of them slipped away from the knot of teachers, where Dumbledore was talking urgently."Are you two all

right, though?" McGonagall asked, "Do you need to go to the hospital wing?"

Potter glanced at her, she shook her head, and he said, "No, Professor, we're both fine.I think sleeping would be

best now, we're kind of tired."

"Oh, fine then Potter," McGonagall said.

The other girls were asleep already, which was what Phoenix had hoped for.She too drifted off into slumber.

****

During breakfast, she received an owl to meet Dumbledore in Professor McGonagall's office.She slipped away

while the few of her friends that had stayed for Easter Break finshed their meal.

McGonagall wasn't in the room when Phoenix walked in.Dumbledore motioned for her to sit down, and she sank in.

"Phoenix, I would like it if you told me everything that happened last night, from where you ended last night. Can you?"

And so she told him.

Dumbledore remained silent and motionless the whole time, and spoke only when she had finished."Phoenix, I think we should tell you something else, to take a small edge of guilt off.First of all, you did something almost no wizard could do

against Voldemort.You did a marvelous job holding him off, and were extremely brave.You may find it interesting that five

years ago, Riddle tricked another first year into doing things she didn't know were wrong.She is perfectly fine now, and I

think you don't bear any guilt at all. You do have a certain gift, Phoenix.Voldemort didn't lie about you being extraordinaraly powerful," (One of the few things he didn't lie about, Phoenix told herself.) "You have a very powerful gift.Since you seemed to have learned almost everything we can teach you here at Hogwarts, I'm offering you the chance to graduate at the end of the year."

"But—but what would I do then?" she asked, startled by the suggestion.

"Ah, Phoenix, something very important indeed.The Auror's Leauge is streached out over all of Europe—as well as the

other continents—and could use you help.Would you like to try?"

"That'd be wonderful, to help try and fix what I did.But there has to be loads of things I haven't learned yet that an Auror

needs to know."

"Nothing you couldn't learn in a crash course summer with the Aurors, Phoenix.You'd be sure to be accepted.You'd also be safer here than at home.Voldemort now knows your power is prehaps stong enough to send him to a state much like the one Harry sent him to years ago.He'd be sure to come after you, for revenge."

"Oh, Professor, I'd love to.I want to learn, but that's where he got me…"

"Wishing to learn is not a sin, and I do not hold you guilty for what happened.Nor," he added, looking at Phoenix's worried face, "Does Harry, as I expect he already told you."

"And my parents?"Phoenix asked.

"I will send them an owl.I'm sure Ariana and Dram will be thrilled that their daughter is carrying on the Auror tradition of the family.They were Aurors when they were younger too."

"Professor, thanks so much."

Dumbledore smiled."The thanks belongs to you, Phoenix, for your incredible bravery.I think you'll make a fine

Auror.I think you must be wanting to spend a little time by yourself now, though.Goodbye."

Phoenix nodded and left,wondering how Dumbledore could have guessed exactly how she felt.

But she had decided. No longer would she be a pawn of dark powers. She was a champion of the light.

AN: Thus ends Pawn of Darkness. Can you believe it only took me 40 minutes to rewrite the first half of Phoenix Tears? Oh well, soccer game now. G2G now. The next story will be the second half of an Elemental-less Phoenix Tears.


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